Te Amo Means I love you in Arcanum
by cypheroftyr
Summary: For the kmeme prompt: Fenris says "I love you" to Anders in Arcanum, not knowing that learning Arcanum is part of a standard Circle education.


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Fenris says "I love you" to Anders in Arcanum, not knowing that learning Arcanum is part of a standard Circle education. Up to the writer whether or not they're already in a relationship or if Anders had no idea Fenris was interested, but I would like a happy Fenris/Anders ending. If Fenris is terribly embarrassed along the way, that's a-okay.

Anders hated traveling all the way to Sundermount sometimes. Depending on when they left, they often had to camp for the night along the trail. It never failed, whenever they camped for the night either raiders, Carta or some other poor sods out for easy coin decided to jump the group. This time, it was slavers looking for Fenris. He heard the elf swearing in Arcanum as he hacked away at the fools sent against him. He smiled to himself as he heard Fenris casting aspersions on the lineage of another slaver who fell to the elf's blade.

He'd never admit it, but he did admire the elf for fighting his way to freedom, or at least away from anyone crazy enough to embed Lyrium in another's skin to make him a living weapon. He cast Tempest at a group of slavers who thought they were being stealthy, taunting them with his usual cry of "That'll teach you to mess with a mage!"

He looked around and caught a Slaver Mage behind Fenris casting a Glyph of Paralysis. "Fenris! Behind you!"

Fenris whirled and charged the Slaver Mage with blind fury, screaming I hate you in Arcanum while he bludgeoned the mage to pulp. While his fury was focused on the mage he had already killed and was just beating to beat him, a blood mage was creeping up on him with a blade drawn to cast blood magic.

Hawke was taking down slavers a little bit down the path, and Varric was picking off the ones who thought they would be safe on the cliffs above. Anders was too low on mana to cast another round of Tempest and the blood mage was getting closer to the crazed elf who seemed to be focused on making puree out of the slaver mage. Luckily for him, Anders Grey Warden instincts kicked in and he charged blood mage with the blade end of his staff aiming for his head. He took down the blood mage with a neat slice of the blade end across his neck.

The mages brief scream of pain seemed to bring Fenris out of his fugue. He looked up to see Anders glaring at the headless body and said head rolling to a stop by his feet. Fenris was covered in blood and seemed like he was surprised to find himself in the middle of a waning battle. He kicked the head away from him with a disgusted snarl as he walked over to Anders.

"I… thank you for taking him out. I lost myself there for a moment. I recognized that slaver mage and went berserk."

"Not a problem, I got to use my staff for something besides magic, it felt good to actually fight with a blade again."

Fenris nodded at him, and looked down at himself with a look of utter loathing. "I hate this part of traveling with Hawke. I'd better try to wash off this blood, if there's a stream nearby."

"I saw one on the way up the path. I'll join you if you don't mind. It's hell trying to get blood out of these things if I don't do it right away."

Fenris shrugged and kept his usual scathing remarks to himself. He indicated that Anders should lead the way. After he told Hawke they were off to find clean water, he set off down the path to the lake he saw while they were traveling. Fenris was quiet, unsure about the momentary truce they seemed to be in. He still loathed mages, but the abomination had watched out for him, as well as killed a blood mage with no qualms. Maybe he wasn't that bad, or maybe he needed to admit to himself that he didn't hate Anders as much as he let on. The mage always healed him, no matter how surly he was about it, he gave back as good as he got. When the damn demon wasn't manifesting the mage was tolerable even.

Anders let his thoughts wander while they made their way to the lake, and found it pleasantly warm. Fenris looked indecisive about getting stripping out of his gear with the human mage right there, but he looked over to see Anders already out of his coat and boots.

"Sod it, I'll never get my armor clean if I'm wearing it." Fenris muttered to himself as he slowly stripped out of his leathers and slipped into the water before Anders. He stole glances at Anders when he could, since Anders was more focused on getting the blood of his great coat and those silly feather pauldrons than paying any attention to Fenris. Instead he paid attention to getting all the gore off his leathers before he turned his attention to himself.

Fenris was almost obsessive about remaining clean. Regular bathing and hygiene weren't allowed while he was a slave, so getting in a bath when he wanted to and not when Danarius allowed it was important. Truth be told, he would lounge around for hours in the tub if he had nothing better to do. He was focused on getting something from under his nails when he heard Anders calling his name.

"Fenris, can you check me for any blood I might have missed? I really don't want to carry anything on me from a Maleficarum."

Fenris looked surprised, and then he simply stared at Anders. Unlike most of the mages he'd ever seen, Anders was fit, very fit and he was distracted by the mage for a moment.

"Is it that bad? Did I miss some on my face?" Anders peered down into the water to see his reflection then back over at the elf.

"Er, no. I was surprised you asked for my help." Fenris waded over to Anders, extremely conscious of the fact they were both naked and no one else was around. Anders smiled at him briefly. He turned his back to Fenris so the elf could inspect him for any gore he might have missed. Anders was so quiet he wondered if the mage was daydreaming or was simply being cooperative. He nearly missed it when Anders spoke to him

"You're not so bad Fenris, not when it's just you." Anders turned around and hoped he hadn't caused a break in the peace between them.

"I could say the same of you. You're clean, no blood or gore. I suppose you should check me as well."

Anders found nothing except in Fenris' hair. "Did you get hit in the head? The top of your head is bloody as hell."

"No, I missed that apparently."

"I see. Stay here." Anders swam over and grabbed the soap stone he'd used on his hair and clothes. He held it up for Fenris to take for his own use. The elf looked conflicted for a second before he bowed his head and mumbled his request for help.

"Would you mind?"

Anders cocked an eyebrow at him, luckily the elf couldn't see it or he might have thought Anders was mocking him.

"Not at all, dunk your head under again."

Fenris dropped below the waters surface for a moment and stood up so Anders could scrub the remaining blood out of his hair. Fenris relaxed as the mage worked the lather through his hair, surprising himself with how much he trusted the abomination. He realized Anders was also massaging his scalp as he worked the soap in. He was about to open his eyes but Anders requested him to rinse off first.

"Once more dunk yourself, don't open your eyes or the soap stone will sting worse than a brezat's bite in summer."

Fenris stayed underwater for a moment and popped up to find Anders smiling at him wistfully. The mage checked him over once more and declared him blood free.

"There we're both free of blood and ichor. We should probably head back before Hawke thinks we've killed each other."

Anders swam back to shore and waited for Fenris before he offered to dry their clothing. "Alright if I dry your leathers? Wet leather feels horrible on you, especially after a swim."

Fenris nodded from his place in the water, he was still unsure about letting the mage see him fully nude, even though he'd gotten a good look at the mage when he ducked under the water to rinse his head off. Anders chuckled a bit, almost as if he could divine what Fenris was thinking.

"Fenris, no need to stay in the water until you start shivering. Growing up in the Circle took away any sense of modesty I may have. I won't stare at you if you're worried about that."

Fenris looked down, his cheeks burning a bit. He wasn't worried about the mage watching him so much as being worried about gazing at him inappropriately. He still stayed in the water until Anders turned his back and started dressing. Fenris dressed as quickly as he could but in his haste got tangled up in his leggings and fell over. The mage didn't even snicker to his credit just offered a hand up. They trudged back to camp and found that tents were set up and they had been left some dinner.

"I was starting to wonder if you two had throttled each other or drowned each other down there. I was surprised to not have to come running."

Anders rolled his eyes at Hawke. "I can be civil to people on occasion Hawke. You should try it sometime instead of going for sarcasm at every opportunity."

"Funny Anders, really funny. Since you two took so long to come back, you have to share a tent. Last one on the right. Don't argue with me either. You managed to not kill each other for a couple of hours, you can share a tent. I'm going to bed."

Fenris and Anders looked at each other and then at the rogues retreating figure.

Fenris scraped his bowl out into the fire and went to the tent. "Hawke is going to be the death of me one day. I'm going to sleep as well. Varric has first watch I think."

"Very well, I'll be there shortly." Anders finished his meal and considered the fact that they were getting along, for the moment. He'd been enamored of the elf after he set eyes on him. His anti-mage stance made it hard to keep the flame of desire alive. He sighed in defeat as he stood up and headed toward the tent. Forced sharing of a tent was probably the closest he'd get to consummating his desire for Fenris. He found the elf already asleep and muttering in Arcanum. Anders settled in and lay awake for a while as he listened to Fenris talking in his sleep.

He didn't really pay attention until he heard his name and "Te Amo Anders",and "Nunc scio quid sit amor" again with his name following. He turned his head to see if he'd heard right… because there was no way under the Divine he could have said that. Of course that was the moment Fenris partially woke up to see Anders staring at him in disbelief.

"What? Do I snore?" The elf was clearly not functioning at full speed since he didn't really move from his place but he did get the sense something was wrong.

"What is it? Don't make me regret sharing a tent with you."

Anders looked away for a moment and then looked back at Fenris before he returned the elf's affectionate words to him in Arcanum. "Te amo Fenris."

Fenris' eyes widened and he sat up, whacking his head on the pole holding the tent up. "What did you say to me?"

Anders sat up and faced the elf before he muttered something about whether or not Fenris meant it.

"Meant what? What did I say?"

"You said Anders, I love you and now I know what love is in Arcanum in your sleep. I don't know if you meant it, were having a dream or if I imagined it. I decided to take a chance and tell you how I feel."

Fenris closed his eyes and felt the blush creeping along his face. All this time the damned abomination could understand Arcanum? He'd confessed his feelings while somewhat asleep, but he knew Anders was there. Damned if he knew the mage knew Arcanum, he certainly wouldn't have said anything.

"Fenris, I'm sorry. Please don't be angry with me. All Circle mages are forced to learn Arcanum. I'm sorry I never told you I understood everything you've said about me or to me when you slip into it. I'll go sleep outside, and we'll pretend this never happened."

Fenris sighed dramatically and grabbed Anders before he could exit the tent. "Don't… run from me. The truth is out there now and neither of us can undo what has been said and heard. I'm… unsure what we can even say now that the truth is out. I had no idea you felt anything for me other than hatred."

Anders sat back down and looked at Fenris as if he was facing down a Darkspawn horde rather than one elf. "I could say the same of you Fenris. I…I never thought you would feel the same way about me."

"I'm not sure how this came to be, but I do care for you despite you being an apostate abomination. Even if we differ in our causes, I do admire your tenacity. Perhaps once we have returned we can speak privately about these…feelings we each have for each other."

Anders gave him a bashful smile as he contemplated the offer to talk. "That would be good Fenris. I'm sure we wouldn't have the privacy needed to freely discuss things. Thank you for hearing me out."

Anders let the breath he was holding out while Fenris continued to gaze at him. "Thank you for not mocking my affections, even if you didn't return them. I hear the others rousing from sleep. Apparently we let the night get away from us."

Anders yawned, affirming Fenris' assumption. "You got some sleep, I barely rested. I rarely do on these jaunts. Let's get back to town so we can talk."

Fenris nodded, and they had breakfast, broke down camp and returned to the Kirkwall border before they all went their separate ways. Hawke noticed Fenris and Anders both heading toward Hightown a few strides ahead of him, but he said nothing. They actually were getting along and he wasn't going to create problems on the off chance they finally had chipped away at their enmity. He purposely veered away from their path and made for his mansion the long way so he could at least let them travel in peace. Anders and Fenris didn't speak until they'd reached Fenris' home.

Once they were inside Fenris grabbed Anders and let his actions speak for him as he shoved the mage against the nearest wall and kissed him like all of Thedas was crumbling around them and it would be only chance they would have to be together. 

"I think you can tell how I feel about you. Do you feel the same way?" Fenris looked at Anders, and noted he was of the same height as the human mage something that never occurred to him, except for the fact they were face to face.

"Yes Fenris, I do. Maker help me but I do. Let me show you how I feel about you." Anders kissed Fenris, not the hungry, devouring liplock they shared earlier but a gentle kiss that expressed how he felt and what he hoped Fenris felt for him. He wrapped his arms around the elf and held him close while he spoke softly to him in Arcanum. "Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori"

Fenris replied in kind..."Numquam te amare desistam" as he led Anders upstairs to his bedchamber to show him with actions not just words. Neither of them was seen for a few days, and when they next showed up for Wicked Grace at the Hanged Man, both men were surprisingly chipper, and not broody.

No one said a word about what must be going on between them, mostly because they enjoyed living. Everything went well for the two, until Anders blew up the Chantry but that's a tale for another time.


End file.
